I came across the following article in The St. Petersburg Times. It is by Yvonne Swanson and I thought you would enjoy it since it discusses competition from “door knockers” with unlicensed businesses. The landscaping business is tough enough to manage without this type of competition. I think the author of this article does a good job of explaining the benefits of going with a professional landscaper.

It was early on a Sunday morning when the young, scruffy fellow knocked on Greg Charles’ front door. Spotting lots of trees in the St. Petersburg yard, he came calling with a chain saw and a story about how all those big trees needed cutting.

Some homeowners would have listened to the sales pitch, forked out the money and watched those limbs fall. But the man had knocked on the wrong door.

Greg Charles is a local legend when it comes to trees and other plants. He has taught thousands of people the ABC’s of the landscape field at Pinellas Technical Education Centers, where he’s run the horticulture program for more than three decades.

Unlike other professional industries, most of the services offered by lawn, tree and garden businesses don’t require licensing based on skill and expertise. In fact, anyone with a business license and a lawn mower, chain saw or other equipment can call themselves a landscape professional.

Hiring a company or individual who comes knocking on your door can be dangerous, experts warn. Improper tree work, as well as poor pruning of shrubs and other plants, can spread disease and kill plants. These “door knockers” may offer a sweet deal, but it could result in thousands of dollars in damage if trees and mature plantings are lost.

Summer is high season for these self-proclaimed landscapers, who prey on homeowner fears of tree-related damage that could come with tropical storms and hurricanes.

“All these fly-by-nights are going around now telling people they need hurricane cuts and thinning out the center of their trees, which makes it more susceptible to storm damage,” Charles says. “You have so many people wanting business that they are going out butchering trees. If we get a significant blow, we’ll see those trees go down.”

Homeowners can protect their properties and pocketbooks by hiring a certified professional or member company of the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association. The group, which has 2,400 member companies, has certified more than 1,000 individuals statewide, according to Merry Mott, its director of industry certifications.
Certified professionals must pass extensive exams and complete continuing education on such topics as plant care, pest identification, water quality and conservation, fertilization, landscape installation, irrigation repair and landscape maintenance.

Charles and his colleagues are on a crusade to educate the public about the industry and the importance of hiring qualified people for the job.

In these tough economic times, many homeowners are tempted by cheap prices, but as with most services, you get what you pay for. “You take the low bid, and guess what? Most of the time when you try to cut corners, you get bit in the butt,” says Charles.

One thing I wish the article discussed is the importance of hiring a landscaping business that has insurance. Many of these “door knockers” do not carry insurance policies on their business and any damage they cause would not be covered. The injured party could try to sue the person that provided the landscaping services, but more than likely they wouldn’t have any assets worth repaying the damages. As a landscaping business, you should always mention the importance to the client that you carry appropriate limits of insurance coverage. This can be as simple as giving the client a copy of your certificate of insurance and making a brief comment on the importance of hiring a landscaping business with insurance.

The Agent Articles section of BearWiseLandscapers.com allows our insurance agents to provide practical information for landscapers. These agents can also obtain quotes and establish a custom insurance program for your landscaping business through our access to a variety of insurance carriers. This agent article is filed under News & Information, and you can follow comments to it through the RSS 2.0 feed. Feel free to leave your own response below: